Visionary Swedish musicians SOILWORK are pleased to officially announce the inclusion of their now permanent drummer, 25-year-old Bastian Thusgaard. Thusgaard has been blazing the kit for the band for the past 10 months, but will make his official debut as a permanent member of the band at their upcoming summer festival performances. See below for a full listing of dates.

Bastian Thusgaard originally joined the SOILWORK machine as their touring drummer after former full-time drummer Dirk Verbeuren’s departure. Thusgaard began his journey as Verbeuren’s understudy, eventually taking over touring duties for the band full-time in the summer of 2016.

In a band statement, SOILWORK says: “We are super stoked to announce Bastian Thusgaard as our permanent drummer. He’s been touring with us for quite a while and has been nothing short of amazing to work with, both on a musical level and on a personal level. Taking over after Dirk must have been pretty hard, but he has proven, time and time again, through our tours through North America, South America and Europe, that he is the perfect man for the job. Bastian is only 25 years old and already possesses such great groove and fantastic technique. We can’t wait to see, how his ability will take us to the next level while we write our next album. It will be a beast, there’s no doubt about it. We have so much left to say musically and Bastian will be the perfect drummer, to help the band evolve on our constant musical journey. Give Bastian a warm welcome everyone!”

Bastian Thusgaard adds: “First and foremost, I would like to thank Björn, Sven, David, Sylvain, Markus and everyone else involved in SOILWORK team for their very warm welcome. I want to thank Dirk for his guidance, support and ability to inspire young drummers like myself, to put in the hours needed in order to make it to this level. He is the reason that I’ve had my life’s best musical experiences during these past ten months. To the fans that I’ve already met around the world and all the wonderful people surrounding me, thank you for your great support and positive feedback. It has truly been overwhelming.

I am truly honoured to be given the opportunity to continuously work with SOILWORK, a band that I grew up listening to and one of the key elements of my musical education. I am 100% committed to SOILWORK and am looking forward to create music with my childhood heroes and to see what the future will bring. See you all on the road.”

SOILWORK continue to strive toward excellence no matter the elements that are thrown at them. With several summer festivals quickly approaching and fall just around the corner, fans will surely witness the great new chapter of the band’s legacy.

Originally formed in 1995, SOILWORK have spent the last five years of their careers cementing their vast metal legacy. Most bands would be satisfied releasing one or two albums along with some touring, but not SOILWORK. Their passion for the craft has led them to release a single and double album, a rarities collection, an exclusive EP for Asia, a live DVD and to go on extensive world tours. Their relentless commitment to their fans is what separates them from the rest of the metal community and is the reason they still continue to flourish even after 20 years.

2015 saw the release of SOILWORK’s tenth and most recent full-length studio album, The Ride Majestic. The album saw the addition of Markus Wibom’s (ex-Hearts Alive) as bass player and picked up where the band left off with their critically acclaimed double album The Living Infinite. The Ride Majestic charted internationally upon its release, hitting the Billboard Top 200 in the US, and is available now in CD, vinyl, or digital formats.